This rustic Greek chickpea soup is easy to make in less than 30 minutes and jazzes up otherwise boring chickpeas. Revithia is a traditional Greek soup, with flavors of garlic and lemon.
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Vegetarian | Vegan | One Pot Meal | Less Than 30 Minutes | Gluten-Free Modification
What Is Revithia Soup
This Greek chickpea soup is called revithia. Revithia is normally considered a soup or a stew made with chickpeas and flavored with lemon and olive oil. Greek cuisine can be very rusty, and like other Mediterranean cuisines focuses on humble dishes with simple ingredients.
Revithia is found throughout the country but is most commonly found on the island of Sifnos. Traditionally, this Greek chickpea soup or stew is prepared in a stove, or over a fire, sometimes even in a clay pot.
This is a modernized version, that is made quickly and easily on the stovetop.
Dry Or Canned Chickpeas
This greek chickpea dish includes a lot of ingredients you probably already have at home, particularly if you make soup as much as we do. Traditionally, it is made with dried chickpeas, that are soaked overnight and cooked for a long time.
I am sure there is some Greek grandmother out there rolling her eyes at the fact that this recipe calls for canned chickpeas. But, there are so many soup recipes that require slow cooking. This Greek chickpea soup is meant to be easy so it can be prepared quickly for a mid-week meal or even a hearty lunch.
Ingredients For Greek Chickpea Soup
In addition to canned chickpeas (that should be drained and rinsed), the base of this soup is a healthy dose of olive oil. Shallots, garlic, and celery are cooked in the olive oil. The shallots should be finely diced and the garlic minced or pressed.
I like to use a garlic press too so that there aren’t big chunks of garlic in the soup. Try the Zulay stainless steel garlic press, which is easy to use. There’s no need to even peel the garlic ahead of time.
There’s really not a lot of seasoning. Just a bit of dried oregano and a bay leaf to help bring out the natural flavors of the ingredients. The flavor really cups from a healthy dose of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Lastly, the chickpea soup is cooked in vegetable broth (or chicken broth if you are not vegetarian or vegan). At the end, a touch of flour is added just to thicken the soup.
Check out some of our other easy soup recipes:
Healthy Lebanese Lemon Lentil Soup
Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup With Cannellini Beans
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup With Cannellini Beans
How To Make This Greek Chickpea Soup Recipe
As much as traditional revithia, made with dried chickpeas, sometimes in a clay pot, is a much longer process, this Greek chickpea soup is so easy to make.
Add the olive oil, shallots, garlic, celery, and oregano to a large saucepan. Cook the vegetables over medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes or until the celery starts to soften.
Add the chickpeas and coat in the olive oil mixture. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, broth, and bay leaf. Stir to blend the soup.
Allow the chickpea soup to cook on the stovetop on medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes. It will only take a few minutes for the chickpeas to warm though as they are already cooked. Instead, you are waiting for the flavors to meld into the soup.
Just before serving, add the flour into the soup to thicken the broth.
Greek Chickpea Soup - Traditional Revithia
This rustic Greek chickpea soup is easy to make in less than 30 minutes and jazzes up otherwise boring chickpeas. Revithia is a traditional Greek soup, with flavors of garlic and lemon.
Ingredients
- ½ cup of olive oil
- 1 large shallot, finely diced
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 stalk of celery, diced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 15 ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 lemons, freshly squeezed
- 1 cup of vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon flour to thicken
Instructions
- Add olive oil, shallots, garlic, celery, and oregano to a large saucepan.
- Cook over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes or until the celery starts to soften.
- Add the chickpeas and coat in the olive oil mixture.
- Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, broth, and bay leaf.
- Allow to cook on the stovetop on medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes.
- Just before serving, add the flour and blend into the soup until the broth thickens.
- Serve topped with feta cheese or coconut yogurt if vegan
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 626Total Fat 33gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 26gCholesterol 0mgSodium 1078mgCarbohydrates 68gFiber 19gSugar 13gProtein 20g
This nutritional data is provided by a third-party source and should not be relied on if you are on a strict diet.
Modifications And Serving
This soup is vegan and vegetarian, which is great. If you are gluten-free, then simply skip the flour at the end. If you want to thicken the soup without flour, then remove a tablespoon or two of the chickpeas from the soup. Place them in a bowl and smash them with a fork until they are soft. Add the chickpeas back into the soup and blend to thicken without flour.
As for serving, I like to top the soup with a bit of feta cheese, as is typical Greece. But, if you are vegan or dairy-free, add a dollop of coconut yogurt to the top to have a bit of coolness on top of the soup.
